THE £12.5 million cost of a new mess at a North Yorkshire RAF station has been branded “colossal” by a councillor.

The new combined mess at RAF Fylingdales, on the North York Moors, was officially opened last month by the Princess Royal.

Coun Howard Keal, a Liberal Democrat councillor on Ryedale District Council, said he welcomed the environmentally-friendly element of the scheme and said the old mess had needed replacing, but he still wondered why it had cost so much.

“It seems like a colossal amount of money, that I would rather see spent on the provision of local services,” he said.

“Having said that, the old mess was in a pretty poor state for service personnel whose next posting could be to Afghanistan or Iraq.”

Anne McIntosh, the Conservative MP for Thirsk and Malton, which includes the air base, said: “It’s a ball- park figure. It does seem a lot of money but I am not aware of the security specifications to which it was built, which could be very expensive. The mess was in a pretty poor condition and had been waiting for a refurbishment for some years.”

An RAF spokesman said last month that the £12.5 million project, which began in 2009, replaced original 1960s accommodation and represented a massive improvement.

He said the mess had been built to the highest standards of energy conservation, including solar-assisted domestic hot water, and had been clad in timber to minimise visual intrusion.

Demolition of the old structures was also continuing, allowing more of the station to be returned to moorland, minimising visual intrusion and maximising conservation value.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said all rooms at the mess were en-suite and finished to a high standard.

“The fundamental principle of the three-mess system has been maintained with separate living, dining, relaxation and bar areas for officers, senior non-commissioned officers and junior ranks, while the opportunity has been taken to centralise core service and kitchen areas,” he said.

“The improved facilities represent a great leap forward, particularly for the junior ranks.”